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TANKER ON A FORD PICKUP - TO WENATCHEE, WA
Traveling the week of Christmas I knew was going to be
expensive, but I thought I could still make money. Amtrak was more expensive
than the airfare so I knew my options were limited. Dispatch didn't put a
'hold' on the first airfare they found and a few hours later prices had gone up
again. We/I started out with a flight a ½ a mile from my drop for $370
and ended up getting one for the same price out of Seattle, which would take a
flight, car, bus or train to get to. As a preempt, I rented a car.
Monday - 12/20/10
Due to not getting back from my last trip until
11:30 PM on Saturday night, my 34 hour re-set won't be complete until 9:30 AM
on Monday/today. The other bad news is that a storm is coming in, the storm is
basically lining up right over the first 600 miles of Interstate that I have to
travel.
I ask if the trip is still a go, and it is. But doesn't hurt
to ask.
After a brief encounter with dispatch, I get the OK to run
without chains. As long as I 'take full responsibility' for not having them.
Not a problem, I don't need them so there will not be an issue.
By
this time of day there isn't much for traffic and find out that this truck will
go the speed limit, so I make time while I can. First fuel stop is the Flying J
in Fargo, I also get a jug of DEF (Diesel Engine Fluid) and some 'anti-gel.'
For most of the first 500 miles there wasn't much to see. White sky,
white ground, white road, white knuckles. Sometimes I could see a 1/10 of a
mile or two, sometimes less than 40 feet. It was a constant focus of where is
the last truck that passed me. When I couldn't see for a 1/10 of a mile I knew
I was too close to the truck ahead of me and I'd back off. If I came up on
someone going under 45 mph I could see them as that wasn't fast enough to make
the snow fly. Not being able to see 40 feet was when someone/a truck passed me.
So when I see someone coming up from behind I had to find something to focus on
so I could gauge where the road was until I could see it again.
Never
hit the speed limit in ND, I had hoped to make it to Miles City, MT but not at
this speed. By the time I get past Bismarck the snow ends and the moon is out,
beautiful and bright against the new snowfall. But the roads don't get any
better, just different. Here there were snow drifts across the right lane so
much of the time was spent with one tire on the right lane where the lane is
clear and one in the left where it is icy to avoid the drifts coming onto the
right lane.
Fuel for the 2nd time today at Beach, I still have time
left to make it to Glendive but not the next 90 miles to Miles. At Wibaux I
need to stop for a permit, when I pull in the Highway Patrol was there …
could be interesting, but he left on my arrival.
Did see a lot of cars
and a few trucks on the ditch today, I did feel enough ice to stay mostly in
the right lane.
I make it safely to Glendive and the Days Inn, just
enough time to get to the restaurant two doors down before they close. Cold, it
is still cold, not sure how cold but below zero is my guess.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Day Inn, Glendive, MT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
At under $50,
it's the best price in town (except for the $29 motel that I've never tried)
I've stayed at this motel a few times over the last five years, never a
problem. Clean, quiet, limited truck parking and the basic breakfast.
* My ratings for this hotel
o 3 of 5 stars Value
o 3 of 5 stars
Rooms
o 3 of 5 stars Location
o 3 of 5 stars Cleanliness
o 3 of 5
stars Service
o 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
* Date of stay December
2010
* Visit was for Business
* Traveled with Solo Traveler
*
Member since November 28, 2010
* Would you recommend this hotel to a
friend? Yes
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - CC's,
Glendive, MT <<<<<<<<<<<<<
When
staying in Glendive at the Days Inn, this is the only place I eat. Always good
food. This time I get there 15 minutes before they close so I get it to go.
They offer to still seat me but I decline, people always want to get off work
when their shift is over.
This time I order the Cheesesteak sandwich, as
that would be an easier to-go than their French Dip, and sub potato salad for
fries (the salad bar has already been taken down, and their choice of soups
were not my choice.)
The place is an old 'Country Kitchen' and has the
layout of those built in the late 70's.
To-Go order came to $7.50.
Tuesday - 12/21/10
Truck starts, takes a while to defrost
the front window, I go back in the motel to do my paperwork while the truck
warms. 6:30 mine time, 5:30 local.
Barely on the highway and the check
engine light comes on, then off, then on, and off. This goes on for about a
half hour before the light stays on and the truck starts to bog down. First a
little more, then more, finally it's dropping to 35 mph on the hills. By now
I've checked with dispatch, they've called the customer and I'm to keep running
as long as no other lights come on or gauges signal more problems. By now I was
about ½ way between Glendive and Miles City, dispatch finds a repair
shop in Miles City but can't find a Ford dealer.
While traveling with
'issues,' I watch the moon set over the mountain tops. There is a high layer of
fog/low layer of clouds leaving just the tips of the mountains showing over the
haze. And it's just as the sun is coming up so it would have made a beautiful
picture, if I had been able to find my camera. I couldn't, and I wasn't going
to stop with the truck running like this. Found the camera later, wrong pocket
of my backpack.
Dispatches directions take me right past a Ford dealer
so I call back, NA. So I go and fill up with DEF, dispatch thought this may
have been the problem ??? I pour in 5 gallons and the gauge still only shows
½ full so I go and buy another 5 gallons. By the time I'm back to the
truck the gauge have come up to full, slow gauges, need to remember that.
Check engine light is still on, by now I've heard back from dispatch
so I head back to Ford. They can't work on it for an hour or two, can't get
ahold of dispatch again. I call the repair shop I was supposed to go to, they
can't work on my 'truck' because they only work on trucks, this is a pickup.
Back into Ford, by now they have seen my truck and saw it was a '750' and not a
'550.' They can't work on it, closest shop is Billings … 150 miles away.
The dealer gives me an 800 number to call if I stall and tells me to drive it
until it stalls. Dispatch doesn't like that idea so they tell me to sit tight
while they make more calls. I'm stitting there a few more minutes and I notice
the check engine light has gone off.
I take off, it no longer bogs
down, I call dispatch and let them know I'm rolling … again. I've lost
about a half hour drive time due to not being able to go the speed limit and
another hour plus sitting in Miles City.
I fuel again in Billings,
they've put up a new Town Pump across from the Flying J so I fuel there
instead, don't need to cross the freeway and the extra stop lights/signs. It
must be above zero here.
A few miles down the road I'm flagged in at
the scale, I don't have a good feeling as a car speeds past going to the
inspection area … just like last time, when I go the full inspection. But
this time all the guy wanted to see was my license. I have the tanker
endorsement that he's looking for, I'm cleared to go.
BOZEMAN -
INTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND TRACTOR dealer, not too many of those that are both
anymore. Looked online, didn't find when they parted ways. Nor did I find when
IH quit making the Scout.
200 miles down the road I'll stop again for
fuel, this time at the Flying J in Butte. This is where dispatch has faxed my
WA permit. Have to have this one before crossing the scale, and I don't want to
be sitting in Post Falls waiting for dispatch again.
At the Butte
scale I'm flagged in again, this is normal, they usually just want to see that
I have purchased my MT permit. I almost think I've clear to go, I'm past the
scale when I see the 'Stop, bring in ALL paperwork.' Not again. But all he
wants to know is what license plate is on the rear. 'None,' it's a plate
holder, nothing is on it. He likely was checking to see if I was running with
two plates (nope, I've learned that lesson). The officer then tells me that I
should have clear roads throught ID. Good to know.
Two guys are in the
scale house talking to the other agent and as I leave I hear the officer ask
"Do you have ANY idea what the 14 hour rule is?" I think those guys were going
to be there a while.
Didn't make Miles City last night so I can't make
Post Falls tonight, I knew that. But with my delays this AM I can't make it
past the MT/ID scale to Wallace or ?? I can make it past to Missoula but there
is nowhere to go. No real towns for that last 100 miles so Missoula it will be.
That makes an even 12 hours again today.
I make it to the Crossroads
Travel Plaza, Sinclair fuel. I want the truck full overnight, the motel next
door is still under $50 and a 24-Food in the same lot so I'm set. I've had
enough driving in the snow so I check flights from WEN to SEA and they have
gone up to $125, the Amtrak bus is no longer sold out so I have options to get
to Seattle. Lights Out.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR
- Redlodge Motel, Missoula, MT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Not posted as of
1/1/11
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - 4B's, Missoula,
MT <<<<<<<<<<<<<
Not posted as
of 1/1/11
Wednesday - 12/22/10
Short night, didn't
sleep well. Not sure if it was the storm coming in or …
Truck
starts, that's always a good sign. Then I check out, it's still an hour before
breakfast. Not a problem, way to early for me to eat. It is 5:30 my time, 4:30
local (and 3:30 Pacific time). Plows are out already, had to wait for one to
get on the Interstate.
I make it to the ID scale, I don't get flagged
in but know I need to get the permit. The guy ahead of me gets flagged in, but
I beat him to the door. Not a problem, they are fully staffed. The guy they
flagged in is having problems finding any paperwork the officers are asking for
so they tell him … 'Go get your log book, and DO NOT write anything in
it.' He is gone a long time for just grabbing a book, isn't back in by the time
I leave, would be interesting to hang around though.
As I'm walking
into the scale, my wife calls. She's found flights under $400 that will get me
home before midnight. But I'm walking into the scale house so I have to call
her back. That sounds good, but I'm still on the wrong side of the pass to book
it, I'll have dispatch do it when they get in at 8 AM.
Roads may be
'icy' sign says, I take it slower than usual up the hill and a whole lot slower
down the hill. Not sure what the options are if you start to slide going down
one of the passes.
Once in ID, I hit fog. Visibility down to 1/10 of a
mile. This is worse than in the snow because now I'm up on some pass …
white knuckles again. Coeur d'alene doesn't look so pretty when you can't see
it. The first couple of hours today was pretty, the full moon all the snow.
Someone posted that at 1PM Eastern on the night of the 21st there was an
eclipse? Didn't know it before hand, not sure if I was awake then or not.
Clear sailing through the WA scale, that is a rare thing. I do hold up
my permit as I go past, not sure if they see it or not. Looks like they are
making progress on the new scale and it's going to have an inspection shed,
whoopie!
Dispatch has called, they book the direct flight so I'll be
home yet tonight and not 5 AM, but they can't book the flight from WEN to SEA
so I'll have to do it at the counter. At this point I haven't realize yet that
I lost an hour going through the pass this AM and don't have as much time as I
thought. About the flight, they had originally mentioned they found a flight
coming back direct to MSP for $370 from WEN, then that one was gone but the
same price for one from SEA so I took that … it wasn't until I saw the
paperwork Monday night that I realized that the 'new' flight was not direct, I
wouldn't be getting home until 5 AM. I don't do those flights anymore. Every
trip I've taken this year that would have involved a red-eye I've stayed the
night after delivery and flown the following day. Not happy, but I didn't ask
and it was someone who does not normally book the flights.
Fuel one
last time at the west Flying J, won't need all the fuel but can't make it
without some. This is back in my 'old stomping grounds,' almost. A little over
an hour south of here.
As I get about 90 miles from my drop, I call
the customer and hear the worst news of the trip 'We called your company and
told them not to send anyone in this weather.' (Later they tell me they will
not start using the truck until March.) They also tell me its started to snow
there, and when giving me directions, to 'gun it' or I'll never make it to the
top of the hill.
Sure enough, a few miles down the road it starts to
snow and it adds up quick. Snow plows / sanding trucks haven't hit the roads
yet. So it's slow and go … I slowly watch my chances of catching a flight
to SEA slip away. In Spokane I thought I had a couple of hours to play with,
then I'm hoping this small airport doesn't apply the 'one hour before flight
time' rule, then I'm hoping it's late.
I do gun it up the hill, lucky
there was one set of tracks or I'd have had no idea where the road was in
places. The directions help and finally I'm gunning it up the last hill to
their driveway. Finally. By now it's less than a ½ hour before flight
and I'm no longer in any rush, the drop takes their time looking the truck
over. Sounds like it's bigger than they expected. They are going to be using it
in the orchards. 'Finally' (10 minutes? Later) they back the truck in the shop
and offer me a ride to the airport about a ½ mile away.
The guy
wants to make sure I get out of town so he parks behind the sheriff's car in
front of the door and follows me in. Once inside I remember I was going to
check and see if the flight is late. I see the sheriff talking to the security
guy (not crew) and a couple of other people … one person looks my
direction and I interrupt their conversation.
"Has the 11 AM flight
left yet?" I ask.
"No …" They reply.
My mind is going
faster than they are talking, 'whew.'
"… it's been canceled.'
They continue.
??? Not sure how dispatch didn't cancel my rental car.
They didn't. It did cross my mind to go offer a ride to someone waiting for a
flight but the car was not in my name and in this weather it could be an issue
if anything happened.
I was not looking forward to this trip, that was
why I was willing to pay double to fly. But it turned out not as bad as I
thought it would be. By now the plows and been out on the side roads so you
could tell where the roads were. Still slowing going the first 50 miles, didn't
pass a whole lot of cars if anyone. Once I was going to pass a truck and the
car was dragging so bad in the left lane I got back in the right lane.
Once I got to where chains are required for commercial vehicles the roads were
clear. My guess is that they have a bigger crew of trucks in that area. But I'm
not commercial today so not an issue. Pass isn't bad, both lanes clear and the
pass signs say '32 degrees.'
Last time I was in Seattle with a rental
car I ended up close to the airport and needing fuel at a station that was
pre-pay only. No credit cards. This time I stopped about 20 miles out and over
filled it.
Have never come into the airport from the East before so I
didn't really remember where it was, finally when I get to I-405 it says
'Tacoma.' Well, it's the Sea-Tac airport so I head that direction. So far I
have not seen a single airport sign, 13 miles later I'm coming up in I-5 and
still no signs. Finally when I was on top of I-5 I saw my first sign, but by
then I had seen the light rail tracks so I knew I was in the right area. At one
point I even looked up in the sky for planes, only saw one and it wasn't where
I thought the airport should be (and was.)
Still working on the ramps
to the parking lot, they were working on these when I was coming down from
Vancouver, BC. Rest of the airport hasn't changed much either so I find my way
around. I had thought I had 'hours to spare' but I am second in line for my
flight. This airline only has one flight a day so the counter is only staffed
limited hours.
More bad news, the person behind me asks if the flight
is still late, the people at the counter don't know and can't find anyone who
does. The info on the screens and at the gate doesn't get changed until an hour
later and yes, the flight is delayed … two hours. Great, I've just spent
$360 on an early flight which now leaves the same time as my original flight.
No lines at security? One person ahead of me, two agents. Good thing
no one is in a rush, I take my usual 4-5 buckets to empty my backpack into. I
offer to let the guy behind me to go ahead but he's slower than I am. He has
one bucket that is almost full of just meds, 4-5 buckets total.
Did
find some good food, didn't feel like walking too far so I picked an Asian
place on my concourse.
I spend some time walking looking for a power
outlet, all are in use. Intercom keeps plugging 'free WiFi' but no power to
access it. Finally I find one outlet where I'll need to sit of the floor. I sit
there for <> an hour until it is boarding time, that is when I finally
see that my flight has been delayed. By now someone in our gate area has left
and I am able to get power there, and sit on a chair. For the next two hours
…
Message over PA in airport …
"Would the parents of ___
please go any pay phone and call 911."
When it is time to board it
looks like it is going to take a while, they can't get the scanner to work and
are hand typing the first few passengers info in. Not the most organized, they
do the usual 1st class and with kids two and under, they also allow those with
'no luggage' to board, then it's 'all rows.'
At the counter I asked
for an isle / 'C' row and got it, and now I found that I/we are one of the few
rows that only has two people in it. Plenty of room.
It's been a while
since I've been on this airline, they 'used to' serve free cheeseburgers …
two if the crowd wasn't hungry. Now they are three dollars, pizza is $6 …
I'm halfway up the isle and they are out by the time they get to the row ahead
of me.
Opps, I made sure I had enough change for a taxi and now the
stewardess asked for change and I have it all to her … could mean no tip
for the taxi drive. Got to get a new battery for my laptop.
We land at
12:30 AM so now ride for me, Super Shuttle it is. I first check to what price
rental cars are at Hertz, they are out. As I'm waiting for my ride, there is a
group of people calling motels … because there are no rental cars at the
airport tonight.
I don't remember the address to our lot but Super
Shuttle has us on record and the driver has been there before to … $30.
Normally it's $1.75 on the bus.
… long day, been up for 21 hours
by the time I get home and to bed, the other flight would have made it 28
hours.
>>>>>>>> TRIP ADVISOR - Manchu Wok,
SeaTec, WA <<<<<<<<<<<<<
Airport choices, didn't want another burger. For some reason always think I
need something with my meat and don't like white rice. White rice was the only
choice if you only got one kind of meat so I ordered two kinds of meat. Orange
Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken and noodles. Meat was tender and tasty, much
better than what I had at a buffet last week. Ate all the meat but way too many
noodles, I think I threw a pound away. |
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